President Bush laid out a proposal Tuesday to revive the Federal Election Commission, but the deal has uncertain prospects given long-standing Democratic protests about former Justice Department lawyer and FEC nominee Hans von Spakovsky.

In the new White House plan, Democrats would nominate Cynthia Bauerly, a lawyer to Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Charles Schumer (N.Y.), to fill the Democratic seat previously held by former FEC Chairman Robert Lenhard.

After months of enduring the nomination standoff, Lenhard last month asked that his nomination be withdrawn.

The administration’s plan also calls for offering up longtime Republican FEC commissioner and current Chairman David Mason as a sacrifice. He would be replaced by Donald McGahn of the law firm McGahn & Associates.

The White House also has proposed that Caroline Hunter, who now sits on the Election Assistance Commission, would take the seat previously held by Michael Toner.

Ellen Weintraub would remain on the commission, according to the deal, and the Senate would then vote on the nominations of Steven Walther and von Spakovsky.

— Matthew Murray